Gina Rockenwagner

Posted on: Dyeing techniques Marshmallow DKDecember 22, 2020

Dye a Festive Red on MARSHMALLOW DK

Do you find yourself knitting late into the night and falling asleep clutching your project? Surprised with how many cookies you’ve eaten and how many hours you’ve logged bingeing on Netflix? Do you keep finding tapestry needles and stitch markers in your pockets? That can only mean one thing! Last-minute gift season is upon us!

Our brand new yarn, MARSHMALLOW DK drops just in time for the holiday knitting season! Spun from 100% superwash merino, this DK yarn has a familiar weight and a classic ply structure, making it perfect for all your favorite patterns calling for DK yarn! The superwash wool is super easy to care for. It can’t be beat for children’s clothes! Just toss it in the washing machine when it needs to be cleaned.

Alexandra asked me to dye a sweater quantity for a last-minute gift she had in mind. I couldn’t help but oblige with this festive red colorway! I’ll show you how to dye it, and introduce you to our brand new DK weight yarn, MARSHMALLOW DK below!

MATERIALS

• 3 skeins of Knomad MARSHMALLOW DK yarn – 100%  Superwash Merino Wool. We designed this project for MARSHMALLOW but it would also work well on any of our yarns with superwash merino, like STEAM, SNOWDRIFT, EGGSHELL, SALCANTAY, MAGNOLIA, and SANDSTONE.
• Dharma Trading co dye for silk and wool. This color is CAYENNE RED
• Gram scale
• A cup to mix the dye in
• Citric acid powder
• Metal chafing pan at least 3 inches deep, or a metal pot you don’t use for food
• A measuring spoon. Any size will work.
• Your regular set up for heat setting yarn
• Optional: zip ties

SOAK THE YARN

Loop a zip tie around each skein of yarn, if you are using them. Soak the yarn in lukewarm water with a dash of citric acid for about 1 hour.

MIX AND MEASURE THE DYE

Make sure to always protect yourself with gloves and a respirator whenever you work with dye in its powder form. A dust mask is not enough protection to safely work with dye powder! You should keep your own set of tools for dyeing. These tools should never be used to prepare or serve food.

Use the gram scale to weigh out the dye and citric acid in a cup. 

I used 2 grams of dye and 2 grams of citric acid powder for each skein of yarn. Since I used three skeins, the total amount was 6 grams of dye and 6 grams of citric acid powder. Add hot water to the cup and use the spoon to mix the whole thing together.

DYE THE YARN

Add half the dye mix to the pan, along with about 6 cups of water or just enough to barely cover your yarn. Stir gently.

Remove each skein from the soaking liquid, gently squeezing the excess liquid out of the yarn. Place the three skeins side by side in the pan, pressing them down and spreading out the skeins so as much surface area as possible is exposed to the dye.  Make sure to wear gloves when you do this!

Top off the second half of the dye mix in the cup with some more water and stir. Pour the remaining dye into the pan, filling in any bare spots and adding as much tonal variation to the yarn as you desire. You can use the back of a spoon to work the dye into the yarn.

Cover the pan and heat the yarn for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cover and allow the yarn to cool completely.

RINSE AND DRY

Rinse and dry the yarn as you normally would. Enjoy your finished yarn! Make sure to tag us using #Knomadyarn so we can see all your fabulous projects.